by Niranjan K
“You know him best, but what if he finds out that Raul is involved with the Resistance? Isn’t he aware of your allegiances?”
“He believes I cut all ties to the Resistance when I changed my name and started working for him. I’ve a feeling he’s personally not sympathetic to the Thaxter, but Selwood Corp’s major buyer is still the State. As such, I think we should be cautious. Still, nothing in Raul’s history links him to the Resistance. I think we’re safe.”
“Let’s keep our fingers crossed that Raul convinces him. All our plans, our very survival depends on it.”
“Don’t worry,” Sergio tapped out the message. “How’s Amir?”
“He’s well, sends his love and regards,”
“Give him the same from me,” Sergio typed before terminating the open connection. He knew that keeping it open any longer would attract the attention of the Sentient as well as that of Ania, the head of their tech security.
Sergio knew it was a dangerous game he was playing, but he also knew he had no choice. As grateful as he was to Alexander, as attached as he was to the man, there were things that were far more important than friendship and personal loyalty. He had a half smile on his face as he thought of Amir. Sergio had never had children, but Amir was like the son he hadn’t even known he’d wanted.
“Mr. Martinez?” Kaya’s voice came through the panel on his desk. “The data you asked for is on your desk.”
Sergio looked at the figures and charts for a moment without understanding them. His head was whirling and his breath was coming in short gasps. He put his hand in his pocket to grab the bottle of pills, and swallowed two, spilling the water on the desk onto the panel. The panel was water resistant, so he wasn’t afraid it would be damaged. Once his breathing slowed and the dizziness passed, he said.
“Miley? Please clean up my desk.”
“Certainly, Mr. Martinez,” the cool female voice of the Sentient spoke and the water disappeared, leaving his desk dry. Sergio thought ruefully that for all his understanding and intelligence, some things would always baffle him.
As he bent his head to the report Kaya had given, Sergio hoped that his heart wouldn’t give out before he had finished his task.
Three
The office building surprised Raul Beltram. He had expected another sterile environment, all glass and metal and people indistinguishable from bots and the same generic Sentient as he had seen in several Corporate Offices. Selwood Corp was nothing like he had expected. Sergio had told him they were different, but Raul had heard that before too. Being here was a revelation, and it gave him hope, hope that their mission might yet be accomplished. The reception area was colourful, with a whole wall adorned with art made by the employees or their families. The receptionist’s desk was not metal, but wood, dark brown in colour, and the large glass window was tinted to keep the sun out and to make the ugly cityscape look beautiful.
While walking to the lift, he could see that though there were cubicles, there were also people outside of them. The bots were all in their designated places, but it seemed the humans refused to be put into boxes. It was surprising that Alexander Selwood should encourage such behaviour; his success and reputation had led Raul to think of the man as something of a machine himself, though little was known of him outside what Sergio had told them.
Once inside the lift, he said, “Mr. Selwood’s office, please.”
“Please place your palm on the sensor, sir,” the Sentient said, as the lift doors closed. Raul complied. The doors slid open, revealing a corridor, at the end of which was another door.
“Welcome to Selwood Corp, Mr. Beltram. I’m Miley. You’re at Mr. Selwood’s office.”
“Thank you, Miley,” he said, lips twisting in a smile as he walked towards the door.
It was a wooden door, he noticed, as he got closer, but painted the same colour as the walls. If not for the sensor on the right side where a door knob would have been, no one would realise there was even a door. He placed his palm at the sensor, and the door slid open. He entered a large office. A young man sitting at a desk to his right, stood up.
“Mr. Beltram. Mr. Selwood is expecting you.”
He led him into an inner office, which was even larger. The first thing he felt as he looked at Alexander Selwood was surprise, and his first reaction was that they had miscalculated. Damn Sergio! If not for his reassurances, he would not have sought this meeting. He tried not to squirm under the scrutiny from those piercing green eyes. Alexander Selwood was younger than he had expected, slightly older than him, perhaps. But how was that possible? Selwood Corp had been in existence for over twenty years, and this man was at the most in his forties. He was tall and athletic, but slender, and his black hair was cropped short. The few blurred images they had managed to get their hands on did not convey the shrewdness of his gaze or the intelligence in them. It was only to be expected, and Sergio had warned them, but even then Sergio had also somehow conveyed the impression that Selwood could be easily won over. Raul doubted it. Selwood made Raul wary. It was possible that their plan would fail.
Raul squared his shoulders. He had come too far to give up without a fight, and that too because of doubt and fear. However clever Alexander Selwood was, he was still human. He must have a weakness that they could exploit. He thought ruefully that already he was assuming that Selwood would not be co-operating. Would their plan of using Selwood Corp as a cat’s paw even work? Despite how he felt, he could not afford to make assumptions. The Resistance was depending on him.
They had supported him, had risked everything on this, trusting Sergio and him to pull this off. He had to rope in Selwood Corp. Sergio’s presence in the company gave them an in, and it was up to him to make certain that Selwood Corp would agree to fund his invention’s test in Ignis, so they could get a contract to develop the planet. The Resistance needed the money, and the technology, and the planet. A base in Ignis, away from Thaxter and the Elite was what they needed to bring their plans to fruition. It was impossible to fight while constantly on the run and starving. There was no need for Selwood to know that he was indirectly funding the Resistance.
“Mr. Beltram,” Selwood smiled, holding out his hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“Likewise,” Raul said, shaking his hand. He kept his grip as firm as Selwood’s. “And please call me Raul. Mr, Beltram is so very formal,”
“As you wish, Raul. Now, I must warn you that Selwood Corp has no intention of entering the field of energy, no pun intended. But I understand you have an invention that would help make Ignis habitable?”
Raul nodded, remembering what Sergio had said. No rhetoric, no emotions. Be matter of fact and logical.
“Yes, you would be right. Ignis is the largest of our planets, but at present almost completely uninhabitable due to its proximity to the sun. Though there is an atmosphere that supports life, the intense heat of the planet makes it impossible for anyone to live there or for anything to grow there. Though there is a nominal community there, it consists mostly of the Defenders, and those sponsored by the habitat companies. Despite the viability of the habitats, they are established only in a few pockets, in and around Nges which is the closest thing Ignis has to a city.” He paused, fearful that he was elaborating too much. There was no way Selwood wouldn’t know all this.
“Please continue, Raul,” Selwood said.
“The reason why the habitats are so few is because everything except air has to be transported there, and the costs for that are already high. My invention is simple. It uses the Nishati dimension as a transportation channel, and as you can imagine, transporting something through Nishati costs nothing. With my invention, the entire planet could become habitable. We could grow enough food for everyone in our planetary system. Natural food for everyone!” Raul couldn’t help but sound excited. “Habitats could be established anywhere in Ignis, and-”
Selwood held up a hand.
“Forgive me for interrupting,” he said. “I can see you�
�re passionate about this, and I do not deny that there’s an opportunity here, but the cost of building a device to use your technology is too high, almost prohibitive.”
“Yes, it is high, but not prohibitive, certainly not for a company like yours. However, as you know, the costs are that high only for building the first device since we have technology at my company that can clone the already built device for a fraction of the cost. With the help of a few well wishers, I have built the first device.” Raul produced the tiny device, his hands shaking slightly. “So, you will have very little initial investment. With your connections and track record, you can have a lease on the entire planet, and with this technology, you can make a good profit.”
Raul was feeling confident now. He had done the math, and he knew Selwood would have too. If a profit was all Selwood was concerned about, then he had nothing to worry about. Sergio had warned him that as much as profit attracted Selwood, he was also sharp enough to notice loopholes. That was the only concern now.
“That is true, but that’s assuming that anyone would want to live in Ignis. Let’s face it. None of the other planets in our system are in danger of overcrowding and they all have better living conditions than Ignis. The profit you speak of will come only if people actually choose to live in Ignis, rather than getting paid by habitat companies to live there.”
“We’ve done a survey on that,” Raul said, fishing out his phone from his pocket, and opening the survey results. “It is more comprehensive than any other, and we’ve covered people from all three planets and from all walks of life.”
Alexander gazed with interest at the holographic figures that were projected on the air above the device.
“So, most of these people would be happy to relocate to Ignis, if the planet was habitable. Interesting, but there’s also the fact that due to the costs, you haven’t tested this, at least not in Ignis.”
“We had tested it on a small scale under simulated conditions, and it had worked perfectly.” Raul said.
They had been hoping that Selwood would be interested enough in sponsoring a real test.
“What about the risks? I went through the details. Your technology taps into the energy of the planet’s core. It could destabilise the entire planet, if your calculations are off by even a millionth of a decimal.”
It didn’t surprise Raul that Selwood had put his finger on the problem they had glossed over. This was what Sergio had warned them about. The risk was always there, but Raul was confident that the planet’s core was stable enough. There was no other energy source powerful enough to make his technology work.
“I assure you-” Raul began, but Selwood held up his hand again.
“I’ll tell you what. Let’s go to Ignis, and test this technology on a smaller scale. All costs of the test will be borne by Selwood Corp. If the test is a success, then we’ll talk terms.”
Raul stopped himself from heaving a sigh of relief. It was more or less what Sergio had told them to expect, and what they had been hoping for, but he had still allowed himself to doubt, forgetting that Sergio had known Selwood for many many years. He had said Selwood wouldn’t be able to resist the challenge once he was convinced it wouldn’t hurt his company or his profits.
“I’m agreeable.” he said, smiling. “How soon can you make the arrangements?”
“By the end of this week,” Selwood said. “Is that all right with you?”
“Perfect.” He smiled again.
That should give him enough time to track down Niek Hendriks at Ruben Dekker’s house. He had promised Lucas he would ensure that his son was safe and happy. Lucas would be glad to have any news of Niek. Though he had never met the boy, he knew him well from Lucas’ words, and Lucas had been quite worried, especially since Amir could not find anything about where Niek was. They had some surveillance footage from the street cams and such, but nothing to indicate where and with whom he was living. Lucas had been frantic when he’d learned of Dekker’s death, a year after the fact, and he had calmed down only after Amir had found some footage of Niek. Dekker was sympathetic to the Resistance and it was possible that Niek was taken in by one of his family members.
He rose, shook hands with Selwood again, and exited the office, feeling like he had accomplished something. He would have liked to meet Sergio, but Sergio had told him not to.
“Let’s meet somewhere more secure,” he had said. “Come by my house, and bring that beautiful fiancé of yours too.”
Raul would have liked to, but Isabel was in Hafi at the moment. He knew she was just as disappointed as he that they wouldn’t be able to meet. His trips to Prith were infrequent, and hers outside it often. Since their engagement a month ago, they had resolved to see more of each other, but something had always intervened. Isabel was aware of his connection to the Resistance, but not the depth and strength of it. For the moment, he was happy to leave things there. Time enough to tell her later. Perhaps once his business with Selwood Corp was wrapped up, he could visit her in Hafi, and they could spend some time together, and he could tell her.
Four
Niek Hendriks looked up from his book as he heard the sound of a hovercab stopping outside the house. He sat up from where he was sprawling on the chair, dropping the book he was reading in the process and touched a panel on the armrest of the chair. The small room, filled with bookshelves all around, dissolved to reveal a large spacious room with large glass windows on the south and east, a white blank wall on the north and a black wall on the south. The white wall had a dark brown door. The chair Niek sat on was the only furniture in the large room. He eyed the door expectantly. Soon, it opened and Alexander walked in.
“Still not in bed, Niek?” Alexander asked as the door closed behind him.
Before Niek could answer, another voice filled the room, the cool mechanical voice of Quinn.
“Welcome home, Mr. Selwood. Would you be needing anything?”
“Thank you, Quinn. Can you bring me a chair?”
A chair materialised next to the one on which Niek was sitting, and Alexander sank on to it, and touched a panel on the armrest. His clothes changed into nightwear and a small table with two glasses appeared between them, one filled with a clear liquid and the other filled with a white liquid.
“Well?” Alexander asked as he picked up the glass of water and took a sip.
“I was waiting for you,” Niek said, hoping Alexander wouldn’t question it. He looked distastefully at the glass of milk. “And I already had milk.”
“Mr. Hendriks poured his glass of milk in the kitchen sink,” the disembodied voice of the Sentient spoke. Niek could have sworn that there was disapproval in the even tone.
“I don’t want the milk.” He said.
“I wouldn't be giving it to you if you didn’t need it. That was the only thing Dr. Aldridge insisted upon, as you well know.” Alexander’s tone was gentle and Niek sighed.
“I don’t know why you worry so much,” He said as he picked up the glass of milk and took a sip, wrinkling his face in distaste. “You’re not my dad.”
“A fact for which I’m extremely grateful.” Alexander said, a smile tugging his lips.
“You don’t have to sound so damn pleased about it.” Niek muttered as he drank the whole in one go. “That was awful.”
“Probably, but you still need to drink it every night until Dr. Aldridge says it isn’t needed. Now, why aren’t you in bed?”
Niek sighed. “I was, and then I had a nightmare, and I woke up, and I asked Quinn—why do you call him Quinn? I thought all Sentients were April or something?—and he said you weren’t home yet, so I thought I’d wait for you.” He hadn’t intended to tell Alexander about the nightmare, it just came out, and Niek hoped he wouldn’t have noticed. “Also, why did you take a hovercab when Quinn was with you, and what’s with his welcome home when he was with you all day?”
“Nightmare.” Alexander said, frowning, ignoring all the other comments, which was fairly typical. Niek hadn’t foun
d a way to successfully sidetrack him yet, and after two years of trying and failing, he was losing hope he would ever be able to. “Llewllyn?”
“And the night dad left...” Niek looked down, not wanting Alexander to see the tears that had almost sprang to his eyes. Talking about dad always made him tear up, even after two years. “I still miss him. I wish... I wish he had taken me with him. Not that I don’t like being here, because I do, but-”
“Hey,” Alexander leaned forward, placing a hand on Niek’s shoulder and he looked up to find Alexander’s concerned green eyes fixed on his face. “You don’t have to justify missing your father. I understand, and I’m sure he would've taken you with him if he could.”
“I don’t even know why he left,” Niek muttered, dropping his gaze again. It was painful to talk about. Perhaps it was the uncertainty of not knowing where dad was, or even whether he was alive. “He just leaves a letter, and a ticket to Nizhoni, and leaves. I mean, he had that ticket, so he knew he would have to leave. Why didn’t he tell me then?”
Why didn’t he take him too? Niek wished he knew, and he was furious at his dad, and had been for a while, but that didn’t stop him from missing him either. If dad hadn’t left, he probably wouldn't have met Alexander, so perhaps some good came out of it. But if dad hadn’t left he wouldn’t have met Llewllyn either, so Niek wasn’t sure if the good outweighed the bad.
“Since I don’t know your father, I can’t answer any of these questions.” Alexander’s hand dropped to Niek’s knee. “But I’m doing everything I can to find him.” he paused. “You know there’s an easy way to do it, to track him.”
“No!” Niek said vehemently. “It’s too risky!”
It wasn’t just the risk that deterred Niek. DNA tracking was infallible, but what if when Alexander tracked dad, he found nothing? Niek was scared, and he didn’t want to give Alexander a sample of his DNA to track dad. Alexander could have taken it without his knowledge or consent, of course, but he didn’t, and he wouldn’t. There were other risks too. If someone else got hold of his DNA they could track his dad just as easily. Dad hadn’t just up and left one day because he wanted to be tracked down.
